iPOage 12-Friday, December 12,1980-The Michigan Daily S Another year of exciting action SUGAR BOWL January 1, 2p.m. (ABC) New Orleans, La. Three Big Ones. ORANGE BOWL January 1, 8p.m. (NBC) Miami, Fla. 4 Georgia (11-0) vs. Notre Dame COTTON BOWL January 1, 2 p.m. (CBS) Oklahoma (9-2) State (10-1) vs. Florida The Sugar" Bowl's hopes of billing itself as the" game for the national cham- pionship came to a halt when Southern California defeated Notre Dame last Saturday, 20-3. Condolences need not be sent to the Sugar Bowl committee, however, as the Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) remain the top-ranked team in the nation. Notre Dame (9-1-1) may have been eliminated from the title hunt, but it houldn't ibe evident in the intensity of ts play as the Fighting Irish try to give ead coach Dan Devine a victory in his ast game as their coach. NOTRE DAME'S STRENGTHS lie ith a strong running game and a unishing defense. The running attack s paced by the one-two punch of Jim tone and Phil Carter, who have rushed or 908 and 822 yards respectively. The running attack will have to carry he Irish offense against Georgia as uarterbacks Blair Kiel and Mike ourey have completed a meager 41.5 rcent of their passes, including 11 in- erceptions, while throwing only two ouchdowns. The Notre Dame defense is buoyed by linebacker Bob Crable and Mark Zavagnin along with defensive end Scott Zettek. They comprise the team's three leading tacklers. ATTACKING THE Irish defense will be All-American Herschel Walker, who rushed for 1,616 yards this season. Should the Bulldogs put the ball in the air, they will hardly be in dangerous straits with All-SEC performer Buck Belue at quarterback. Defensively; Georgia is led by All- America defensive back Scott Woerner. In addition to intercepting five passes, Weerner led the nation in punt returns with a 15.7 yards per return average. The game figures to be closely-fought and the possibility of a last-second field goal that could decide the outcome looms largely. In such a situation, both teams would be well represented. Georgia can call upon All-America Rex Robinson, who has converted on 16 of 22 field goal attempts this season and 101 consecutive extra points during his career after missing on his first try asa freshman. Notre Dame will counter with fresh- man Harry Oliver, who sports an 18-of- 23 goal mark while converting 19 of 23 extra point tries. Georgia by 1. -RON POLLACK The 44th annual Cotton Bowl game held in Dallas New Year's Day matches the Southwest Con- ference champion Dallas, Tex. Alabama (9-2) Baylor Bears (10-1) against Southeastern Conference run- ner-up Alabama (9-2), and has all the ingredients to be one of the best bowl games of the year. Seventh-ranked Baylor, which will be making only its second appearance in theCotton Bowl, and which came back from a 3-8 season last year, features two outstanding players, both who were named to the Associated Press All- America first team. Linebacker Mike Singletary is a terror on defense, having made 145 tackles including 11 for losses. Singletary was named the defensive player of the year in the SWC for the third straight season. GUARD FRANK DITTA, a transfer from Oklahoma, is Baylor's other All- American. He is an integral part of an offense which is led by quarterback Jay Jeffrey, and anchored by backs Walter Ambercrombie (229 carries for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns) and Dennis Gentry (147 carries for 883 yards and six touchdowns). Ambercrombie, who is only a junior, has already become Baylor's leading career rusher and will pose a threat to the Alabama defense. The Crimson Tide defense is led by All-America defensive end E. J. Junior. Junior anchors a defensive lineE that also includes tackle Bryon Braggs and nose guard Warren Lyles, but eithgh- ranked Alabama will have to be sharp defensively to stop Ambercrombie. Seniors Major Oglivie and Billy. Jackson head the Alabama backfield which carries the brunt of the offensive attack. Quarterback Don Jacobs isn't the world's best passer, so the running attack must be in top form to overcome the Baylor defense. Both defenses are very tough against the run and both offenses use primarily running attacks.The game promises to be muscle against muscle. Alabama by 11. -JOHN KERR vs. Baylor (10-1) A possible bat- tle for the mythical national title could develop when Florida State faces Oklahoma in the 1981 Orange Bowl on New Year's Day in Miami. A The number one ranking could be up for grabs if the number-one-ranked} Georgia Bulldogs lose to -Notre Dame earlier that day in the Sugar Bowl. THE SECOND-RANKED Seminoles (10-1) will be trying to avenge last season's 24-7 Orange Bowl loss to Oklahoma. Florida State will be led by the pass-catch tandem of Rick Stockstill and Hardis Johnson, who last week teamed up for two come-from- behind touchdowns to defeat rival Florida 17-13 and keep their title aspirations alive. In addition the Florida State defense, which has not allowed a point in the fourth quarter this year, is led by the oft-injured All-American nose guard Ron Simmons. Joining Simmons on the defensive side are cornerback Bobby Butler,, tackles James Gilbert and Mark Macek, and linebacker Reggie Herring. The fourth-ranked Sooners' (9-2) will bring their explosive offensive attack to Miami led by Quarterback J. C. Watts and running back David Overstreet. Joining Watts and Overstreet in the backfield are Stanley Wilson and Chet Winters. However the Sooners offensive strength lies in their line which is an- chored by tackle Louis Oubre and guard Don Key. ON THE DEFENSIVE PLATOON, the Sooners are led by tackles Keith Gray and Richard Turner. In additioa, the defensive secondary includes Basil Banks, Jay jimerson, Steve Haworth, and Ken Sitton. Although ,Oklahomawas without a bona fide scar for the first time sinee the late sixties,-it still managed to ca- ture the Big Eight conference by edgiO Nebraska. Florida State Seminoles by 9 for#S first-ever-national title. -LARRY FREE D __ ecoj FIESTA December 26, 3: Tenpe, Ariz. Ohio State (9-2) (9-2) This year's iesta Bowl pits 0th-ranked Penn w tate against 11th- r ank ed Ohio State. The two teams will not be vying for the mythical national championship when they square off in Tempe, Ariz., but they should provide viewers with all of the spectacle of one of the four major bowl games. Penn State (9-2), coached by Joe SPaterno, is looking for its second con- # secutive bowl win. The Nittany Lions turned back an inspired Tulane team, 9- 6, in last year's Liberty Bowl. The Penn State offense will be directed by fresh- man quarterback Todd Blackledge. Blackledge, who started the last eight nrd tier' BOWL 30 p.m. (NBC) vs. Penn State games of the season, had a fine year as he threw for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore tailback and explosive kick returner Curt Warner (196 attempts, 922 yards, 4.7 ave.) will be one of the key offensive players for Paterno's Lions. Junior linebacker Chet Parlavecchio and defensive end Gene Gladys (58 tackles, 6 sacks) will head up the Penn State defensive machine. The Buckeyes 09-2), last year's Rose, Bowl losers to Southei D~aiiornia, 17- 16, are led by junior quarterback Art Schlichter and tailback Calvin Murray on offense. Look for Schlichter to spot All-Big Ten receiver Doug Donley all afternoon. Ohio State by 3. -TOM SHAHEEN offers classic matc hups Rogers vs. Green in Gator Bowl GATOR December 29, 9 p Jacksonville, Fl Pittsburgh (10-1 olina (8-3) SCOUTING THE BOWLS When fourth-' ranked'and once-} beaten Pittsburgh (10-1) and 8-3 South Carolina clash in the Gator Bowl, the cliche about an irresistable force encoun- tering an immovable object will occupy cetter stage. The irresistable force comes in the person of Heisman trophy winner George Rogers, while the im- movable force is the Pittsburgh defense in general and Heisman runner-up Hugh Green specifically. Although the highly-anticipated mat- chup between Green and Rogers should make for interesting viewing, the BOWL ).m. (ABC) a. ) vs. South Car- game's;wealth of talent does not stoy there. JOINING THESE TWO on thb Associated Press All-America first team is Pittsburgh's Mark May, thip year's recipient of the Outland Trophy annually given to the nation's best lineman. The Panthers were also represented on the second and third team by' tight end Benjie Pryor (43 receptions for' 5 yards and four touchdowns) and defer . sive end Ricky Jackson, respectively. Honorable mention selections are myriad among these two teams as five Panther and two Gamecock playeri were accorded this tribute. Pittsburgh by 8. -RON POLLAC LIBERTY BOWL December 27, 2 p.m. (ABC) Memphis, Tenn. Purdue (8-3) vs. Missouri (8-3) BLUEBONNET BOWL December 31, 8 p.m. (Mizlou) The Big Ten and the Big Eight will square off, in the forms of Purdue (9-2) and Mis- souri (8-3), at the Liberty Bowl in Mem- phis, Tenn. December 27. Represented are two fine quarter- backs: Mark Herrmann of Purdue, the all time NCAA leader in passing yar- dage, pass attempts, pass completions, and totaP offense; and Missouri's Phil Bradley, who holds the Big Eight record for total offense and the Tigers' record for touchdowns. HERRMANN, A SENIOR, totalled 2,923 yards this season, while boasting two. outstanding receivers in tight end Dave Young and wide receiver Bart Burrell. In his senior season, Young led the nation in receiving (the first tight end to do so since 1977) with 67 catches for 917 yards and eight touchdowns. Burrell, also a senior, caught 58 passes for 888 yards and six touchdowns in 1980. The Tigers sport an offense spearheaded by senior running back James Wilder, who holds the Missouri career record for rushing with 2,357 yards, and senior wide receiver Ron Fellows, who led the Big Eight in receiving yards with 587 on 33 catches. Missouri's defensive strength lies in its secondary, which led the Big Eight in interceptions with 28. Missouri by 3. -MARTHA CRALL Houston, Tex. North Carolina (7-4) Texas (8-3) and North Carolina (10-1) meet for the their histories in ~ the Bluebonnet Bowl at Houston's Astrodome New Year's Eve. North Carolina boasts two All- Americans: concensus outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor (69 tackles, 16 quarterback sacks) and of- fensive guard Ron Wooten (6-4, 260). Texas boasts its own. All-American" selection in junior defensive tackle Kenneth Sims (131 tackles, 100 solo, plus 13 quarterback sacks). (10-1) vs. Texas The Longhorns' quarterback situation has been unsettled. Junior Donnie Little played the second half of the season and posed a double threat, accumulating 82 completions in 155 at- tempts for 1098 yards land -five touch- downs, and running for 486 yards on 122 carries (second best on the team). The other signal-caller is sophomore Rick McIvor (45 of 87 for 751 yards and six touchdowns). The running back duties were shared by sophomores Darryl Clark (353 yards) and Cole Robinson (196 yards) and freshman John Walker (154 yards) . North Carolina by 6. -MARTHA CRALL SUNI December 27, 1 El Paso, Tex. Mississippi (9- (9-2) At first glance this year's Sunt Bowl appears to be a mismatch. Nebraska vs.r Mississippi St.? But then one recalls how MSU upset Alabama earlier this year and figures that maybe the Bulldogs can give the Cornhuskers a battle. Remember, Mississippi State (9-2) is ranked 17th in both -wire service polls and the Bulldogs have won their last five games including four against Southeastern Conference foes. they are mainly a rushing team, but that doesn't BOWL 2:30 p.m. (CBS) 2) vs. Nebraska mean they can't pass. Freshman quar- terback John Bond had thrown for 8 yards and five touchdowns. He has aldb rushed for 720 yards and five touco- downs, making him the conferencels fourth leading rusher as a quarterbacli. The backfield is made up of tailback Michael Haddix (724 yards) and fullback Donald Ray King (642,yards) The Nebraska defense is always tough and this year is no exception. The defense could be the key since Mississippi State is starting a freshman quarterback who will be operating un- der a lot of pressure. Nebraska by 22. -JOHN KERR Six PEACH BOWL January 2, 2:30p.m. (CBS Atlanta, Ga. Virginia Tech (8-3) vs. Mi Fla (8-3 ) other bowls fighting for prestige I ami, Peach Bowl "pit- c 7 ting" Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech (both 8-3) will serve as an excellent opportunity for both teams to gain some national prominence. Virginia Tech is led on offense by sophomore tailback Cyrus Lawrence, the nation's eighth-leading rusher with o 1,221 yards in ten games. Another Tech offensive threat is wingback Sidney Snell, who caught 43 passes'for 568 yards and a school record eight HOLIDAY BOWL December 19, 9 p.m. (Mizlou) San Diego, Cal. Southern Methodist (8-3) vs. Brigham Young (10-1)' The air will no doubt be filled r with footballs December 19, as Western con- ference cham- pion Brigham Young (11-1) brings its aerial show to San Diego to face the Southern Methodist Mustangs (8-3) in the Holiday Bowl. The 15th-ranked Cougars also have one of the top quarterbacks in the coun- try for the second year in a row. Jim McMahon followed in the footsteps of last year's All-American, Marc Wilson, by throwing for a mind-boggling 4,571 crn rho }i- n -on n mrA -nn ra nr HALL OF FAME BOWL December 27, 8 p.m. (Mizlou) Birmingham, Ala. Arkansas (6-5) vs. Tulane (7-4) Any team with a iA M 6-5 regular season , record should feel , \/.. ' lucky to be play- * 74 ing in a post- season bowl. "TheIN team and everyone is very pleased that the Hall of Fame Bowl wanted us," said Arkansas spokesman Gary Shutt. "We've had a number of injuries this year. That's been our problem." The Razorbacks will be taking their 6- 5 mark to Birmingham, Ala. on December 27, where they will meet the Green Wave of Tulane (7-4) in the Hall of Fame Bowl. GARDEN STATE BOWL December 14, 12:30 p.m. (Miz- lou) East Rutherford, N.J. Navy (8-3) vs. Houston (6-5) The last time the Navy football team played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., it suffered the most embarrassing defeat of the season. And the Middies hope to vin- dicate their 33-0 loss to Notre Dame this Sunday when they take on Houston (6-5) at the third annual Garden State Bowl. Defense will be the main factor during the December 14 game. Navy (8- 3) allowed their opponents only 111 n'intc this aac'n nating it amon the INDEPENDENCE BOWL December 13, 8 p.m. (Mizlou) Shreveport, La. McNeese State (10,1) vs. South- ern MississinDi (8-3) The Indepen- dence Bowl mat-t chup between 4 McNeese State (10-1) and Southern Missis- sippi (8-3) will match two highly- ranked teams. No, these two teams aren't rated among the top twenty teams in the nation, but they can stake their claim to some impressive statistical rankings. The offensive strengths of both teams lie in their respective running games. Rmith Mia..v. 1Ui ainn mwhir hhnc 'ant TANGERINE BOWL December 20, 8 p.m. (Mizlou) Orlando, Fla. Maryland (8-3) vs. Florida V. (7-4 ) It'll be a battle between two teams which fell just short of out- standing seasons T when maryland '(8-3) and Florida (7-4) face off in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. December 20. Both teams suffered heartbreaking defeats in crucial cot- ference games that kept them froyn capturing their respective champion- ships. Maryland lost a tough early-season game Tn Nnrth Carnlina which eat ,